Quattro Mani IV 1966

Robert Rauschenberg made this print, Quattro Mani IV, with a mix of lithography and screenprint, layering images like memories in a dream. The surface is alive with marks, some delicate and faded, others bold and distinct, creating a textured field that invites your eye to wander. Notice how the images aren't quite defined, but rather bleed into one another, creating new associations, new possibilities. Look at the bottom right corner - the heavy tread of those tires, solid and dark, contrasts with the soft haze of the boat on the water. There’s this feeling of movement and stillness all at once. Rauschenberg was really taken with the idea of art as an ongoing conversation, always absorbing new influences. He probably knew the surrealist collages of Max Ernst, and I think Rauschenberg's work builds on that spirit. The work really gets you thinking that there’s never one single way to see or understand anything.